Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-26
G A T A r r H

THE TERM CATARIsH rs AP-
l. piled to peculiar disorder of the
nostrils and adjacent parts, which prevails
to an alarming extent and is productive of
very serious consequences.
The most prominent and characteristic
features is a morbid discharge from the
head, varying in its nature at different
times
In some there is an aimos, constant flow
of clear, acid tluid, but ofteDer an offensive,
purultn nt, or mucopurulent, greenish-yel-
low matter is seereled, which accumulates
in the nostrils or drops into the THROAT,
necessitating ITS flequent removal by Blow
lug the nose or expeetoeation, and often by
coin processes. Sometimes patients feel as
though their whole head was in state of
ro.tenness, so great is the amount of matter
discharged ana SO fetid is Its odor. The
patient is greatly annoyed by the constant
dropping into the throat OF the morbid
matter from the head, and as q reeumbent
position NATURALLY favors the dow down
wa. d, his rest is frequently disturbed from
this cause. Many sufferers are Obliged to
lie with the head very much elevated in
order to sleep with some degree of com
fort.
In others tough, viscid and offensive
phlegm collects benind and above the soft
palate, In the passage between the throat
and head. adh ering to the parts with gluish
tenacity. Its lodgment embarrasses respi-
ration and creates Il sensation OF irritation
and uneasiness in the affected locality,
which gives Iise to a constant and almost
irresistible desire to relieve the discomfort
by drawing the mucous intothe throat so as
to eject IL by the mouth This Practice,
populSriy known as hawking" :" Is charac
teristic OF catarrh, and proves as enlbar.
RAISING to the one affected as it is disagree.
able to those around him
Again, The offensive matter hardens aud
deposits itself on the membrane in the
share of dry, hard cuncIelions, which are
discharged by way of the Dosirils or throat
in Jumps or fragments of deep green tint.
In some cases these incrustations accumu-
fa tn mol N avf toni tn a
plug in the nose, which obstructs breathing
and produces serious discomfort. So firmly
do these inerustntions adhere to the point
of attachnl ent that their removal Usually
erquires the most violent efforts; not unfre
queDtly they have to be torn from the mem-
brane. occasionally solid cast OF notable
size is expelled, on which there are gener-
ally traces of blood, but in some cases the
cast presents tubular appearance. being
OF exact shape of the nasal cavity. This
condition is indicative of liberation, which
in time may destroy the hony structure of
the nose and produce a subsequent hatten-
ing of that organ.
Gases are occasionally met with in which
a thick, viscid. shiny secretion coats the
membrane OF the nasal cavities aud then
putrihes, giving rise to stencil which is
really overpowering and sufficiently fetid
to poison the atmosphere of whole room;
and there are others in which all the,secre-
tions of the membrane are suspended, caus-
ing an unpleasant feeling OF dryness, heat
and feverishness in the head and nose-a
| condition popularly known as DRY Ca
tarrh."
The disease speedily extends to the air
cavities OF the bones of the forehead and
face, giving rise to distressing sensation
OF heavy weight or compression over the
forehead. especially in the region above
| and between the eyes, and to O feeling OF
| fulluesss heat, irritation, soreness or pain
in the nOstrils near the root of the nose. as
well as in the upper part Of the throat. above
and behind the soft palate sometimes
ls m m hgf nafa ri v pd Tll
| tculaI part, as in the temple, on the top of
| the head, at the back of the neck, or behind
| the orbits, and occasionally pain manifests
| itself in the face of so severe a character
that it is frequently mistaken for neuralgia
The breath is ALWAYS tainted and at times
| assumes an exceeding fetid and sickening
odor. In some cases 1t becomes so revolt
| ingly offensive as to render the sufferer
an object of disgust to himse I as well as to
| others.
The nasal membrane is thickened and
congested: causing the nose to be stopped
| up. sometimes on one side, sometimes on
| the other, and often on both, giving ris e to
| disagreeable stuffy sensation i'll the head,
and occasioning violent and prulonhed
| paroxysms of sneezing.
The voice is weak, indistinct and husky,
| or OF nasal Character, displaying sort OF
shifting quality. Oftentimes there is a con.
| tinuous hoarseness and discordance. There
is also sense OF irritation in the throat
and frequent attempts to clear the parts Of
phlegm, producing the sound "hem" more
| or less forcibly. In some cases patients
complain of an uncomfortable feeling OF
| fullness, or choBy sensation in the throat
| and in Others Of a distressing and almost
constant dryness, for the temporary relief
OF which they have to swallow frequently.
| Others, again, speak of constant bad or
| Dauseous taste in the mouth or throat.
The stomach generally suffers more or
| less and becomes weak and irritable: the
| appetite is capricious and nearly always bad
| in the morning. The patient Il languid, IN
| perform mental nhVsiCat
with the usual facility: is nervous, de-
pressed in spirits, at times fearful, timid,
agitated and inclined to drowsiness and
sleep, the memory weakened and perman-
ent impairment threatened.
The mueus membrane soon becomes NOR
| bidly sensitive to unfavorable influences,
and in spite OF the utmost care becomes al.
| fected from the slightest causes. so that at
last breath of wind u pOn the lining of the
nose or throat becomes productive of q cold,
ana gives rise to serious disturbances of the
respiratory organs. Thus the patient is sub
Ieet to frequent and repeated colds, each
| attack aggravating the disease by giving 1t
new impulse and involving a larger ex-
tent or surface than its predecessor. In this
manner the difhculty spreads from organ to
organ, invading the throat. larynx, trachea
and bronchial tubes, until, encroaching
further and further, 1t reaches tho finer
ramificatfons of the bronchi, when but a
slight impulse is required to send it to the
lungs. Catarrh may, and often does, affect
other organs in the body, especially those
containing mucus membrane, such as the
stomach, bowels, kidneys, etc.
By the employment of proper inhalations
IN the form of medicated vapor mot steam
or spray we are able to produce immediate
and direct action upon the diseased surface
in the pharynx and nasal passages, for air
will fnd.its way into the most remote and
intricate cavities, where it is utterly impos.
sible to make fluid applications Bv these
means every case can be cured.
ozGNA.
Ozena is the professional or technical
name given to the advanced form of catarrh
IN which liberation has eaten through the
membrane lining of the nose to the cartil-
age OF the bone. Any case of catarrh may
end IN oz9na, but 1t most frequently occurs
In those who are naturally scrofulous. The
discharge takes place through the nostrils
or through the throat, and is generally of
yeiiicwlsh or greenish yellow color, freqent-
tended by an offensive smell. In the Ian.
guage of Dr. Wood, OF Philadelphia, "The
disease is ore of the most obdurate and
dissgreeable which the physician has to
encounter. In bad cases the breath Of the
patient becomes so revolving as to isolate
him from society and to render him an OBJ
lect OF disgust even to himself" In some
slough off, leaving deep, unhealthy ulcers.
which secrete bloody matter and are ex-
tremely difficult to heal. After eczema has
continued for some time the sense OF smell
Deafness is one OF the most common conse-
guences, and results from its extension
through the eustachian tnbes to the internal
ear Pains In the head and over the frontal
slnuses, impa1ring memory, and even in
sanity frequently springs frem its extension
% the brain. The greatest danger, however,
because the most common. is that it will
extend downward and affect the lungs. In
most cases of pulmonary disease catarrh is
present in some degree, and in many in.
'tances IL causes large share of the pa
ients discomfort.
Besides these grave consequences, ali Of
which are liable to spring from scro fulous
,atarrh or ozona there are others which, IL
ess dangerous are sufficiently unpleas SAINT.
'f both sexes, by isolating them and pre-
,enting their settlement in life. An offen-
i've running from the nose, with foul
breath, Is about as great a calamity as can
,efail young people, Tor no young people
mould ever think Of marrying while affiict-
ID with catarrh.
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